Coin-operated machine.



N0l 694,282. Patented Feb. 25, I902. C. L. HUBD.

COIN OPERATED MACHINE.

(Application filed. Sept. 28- 1901.)

(No Mddel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Wifnesses; FY3971 v r I Charles.L.Hurd

Patented Feb. 25, I902.

6 L. HURD. COIN OPERATED MACHINE.

(Application filedSept. 28. 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I'm/Q7150",

Charles L.Hwad- 1 [Il /ll w: NORRIS PETERS no, Moro-Luna, WASHKNUTON, p. c.

UNITED STATES- PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES L. HURD, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO NELLIE F. SMITH, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

' COIN-OPERATED MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 694,282, dated February 25, 1902.

Application filed September 28, 1901. Serial No. 76,899. (No model.)

To a. whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. I-IURD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chelsea, in the county of Sufiolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Operated Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to that class of coinoperated machinesin which a coin is inserted in a circular opening in a slide and acts to unlock a catch, which normally holds the said slide, and thereby permits the latter to be pushed inward and dischargeasmall package from the package-chute.

The object of my invention is the effecting of certain improvements in the slide-unlocking devices and in the parts relating to the delivery mechanism.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a sectional side elevation of my complete machine with the exception of the upper extremity of the chute and case. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the release device. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a slide and of certain parts relating thereto. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of a part of a slide, showing a coin therein and the rocking dog which aids in unlocking the slide. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same parts, but showing the same in another position. Fig. 6 isa similar view, but showing the action of the rocking dog upon a washer, an end of the detent being also shown. Fig. 7 is a section on the line X X in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is upper end of drawershaft.

- The reference-numeral 1 indicates the slide,

' having the circular coin-opening 2 and the slots 4 and 5, as in Fig. 3, the slot 4 being for the reception of the lever 10, which when raised by the coaction of an introduced coin and the rocking dog 20 moves the slide-detent 30 away from the path of the slide. In another application of mine, Serial No. 69,063, I show this lever with a nose for engaging an introduced coin; but inasmuch as the said nose by its frictional contact with the' coin engenders considerable resistance I have devised said rocking dog to take its place, and thereby do away with the friction and the consequent increase of force required for the manipulation of the slide 1. Upon the shoulder 16 of said lever rests the adj usting-screw 38, tapped through the detent 30, the latter being pivoted at 32 to the framework and formed with the hook or shoulder 31, descending into the path of the slide. A spring 35, held by the fixed pin 36 and pressing upon the pin 33, serves to strongly hold the detent in its normal position. v

Rising from the slide 1 is the ejector-support 7 (shown in Fig. 3) and designed to carry the ejector-forks 8. lVhenever by the coinoperated elevation of the detent 30 the slide 1 is permitted to be pushed inward to its limit,

said forks engage the lowermost package in the chute 40 and push it back through the discharge opening 41, whence it descends through the delivery-passage 42. Said forks are pivoted to the support 7 in order that they may yield to the descending packages and permit the retraction of the said forks and slide to their normal position, and they are counterweighted, as shown, to raise their ends into operative position.

The construction of the lever 10 and rocking dog 20 is as follows: Said lever is pivoted at 11 to the framework and extends upward through the slot 4 in the slide 1. It is also formed with the shoulder 16, supporting the adj listing-screw 38 of the detent 30, and the elbow 12., through which is tapped the adjusting screw 13, which normally abuts against the front plate 50 of the framework, whereby said lever is supported in the position shown in Fig. 1. Within a slot 14 in said lever is the rocking dog 20, pivotally sup: ported on the pintle 21 This dog is formed with the tail 22 and tooth 23, the tail being much the longer and depending through the slot 4 in the slide. A spring 17, having one end bent and fixed in the lever, as shown in Fig. 1, serves to press the tail 22 downward and toward the coin-opening 2.

The operation of the rocking dog is as follows: A coin 0 being inserted within the opening 2 and the slide pushed inward, the edge of the coin contacts with the tail, as shown in Fig. 4, and swings the same with it until the tooth 23 of the dog is brought into contact with the upper surface of the coin. The inward movement of the slide continuing, the pressure of the coins edge against the tail 22 serves to rock the dog on its nose 23 as a fulcrum, and thereby elevate the pintle 21, and hence the lever 10. As already described, this elevation of the lever raises the detent 30, and so makes a free path for the slide to be pressed inward far enough for its ejectorforks S to throw out a package from the chute. The final position of the rocking dog is that shown in Fig. 5, wherein the tail 22 reaches the extremity of its upward and back ward swing, the coin at such point having passed beyond or sufficiently beyond its supporting-ledges 52. Then the slide returns to its normal position, being forced thereto by a suitable spring 9, (shown in Fig. 3,) the rocking dog is swung back by the spring 17 to its original position.

The proportions of the rocking dog are so made that when a blank less in thickness than the proper coin is introduced into the open-1 ing 2 the degree of elevation given to the detent by the coaction of said dog and blank 6, and so fails to operate the detent, for it will be noted that the distance of said tooth from the tail 22 is equal to the radius of the coin for which the machine is designed, and so just reaches the central hole of any Washer.

Inasmuch as the rocking dog has a rocking or rolling action in respect to the coin in serted as the latter moves beneath, there is none of the friction that I have found to be the case in connection with the construction referred to as set forth in my companion application No. 69,063.

To prevent friction between'the rocking dog and a coin and also with the slide itself as the latter is moving inward to discharge a package, said slide is provided with the bridge or support 6, arranged to come beneath the pin 33, projecting from the detent, when after the elevation of the detent the slide end has just passed the shoulder 31. This bridge raises the detent somewhat higher than it is moved by the rocking dog, and so relieves the lever 10 and rocking dog of all strain and friction. I prefer to mount an antifriction-roll on the pin 33 to prevent friction between said pin and the edge of said bridge.

In the use of the adjusting-screws 13, 38, and 34 I first adjust the screw 13, thereby moving the pintle 21 nearer to or farther from the surface of the slide 1, thus increas- 0 ing or diminishing the extent of throw given by the dog 20. I then adjust the screw 34, which rests upon the top of the post 37, until the under edge of the shoulder 31 is just below the lever of the end of the slide 1. Finally I turn thescrew 38 down until its end just touches the shoulder 16 of the lever 10, but does not raise the screw 34 out of contact with the'post 37. After the machine has been in use a long time and the variouspivots may have become somewhat worn it is well to adjust these screws again; but ordinarily one adjustment is sufficient.

Another improvement which I have effected in this machine is doing away with a visible money-drawer and its consequent liability to be forced open and the coins abstracted. I provide the inclosed cash-drawer 60, supported on the shelf 43 and having a slanting side 61, meeting a trap-door bottom 62. By sliding the drawer backward until its trap-door bottom, is no longer supported by the shelf 43 said bottom drops open and the coins immediately tumble from the drawer into the delivery-passage 42, and so slide into reach. To thus manipulate the drawer, I have a vertical shaft 63, extending upward and terminatingin a horizontal arm 64, seated in a groove in the under face of thedoor 80 of the case. Nearitslower end said shaft is provided with an arm 66, engaging a hole 67in a central web .68 of said drawer. By turningsaidshaft in one direction the drawer is pushed back and its contents discharged, while a turn in theopposite direction brings the drawer back. The engagement of said arm 64 with the groove 65 in the door 80 holds the drawer from moving except after the said doorhas been opened.

Another improvement is that by which the slide is prevented from delivering a coin into the cash-drawer when all the packages are exhausted from the chute. This consists of the weight or follower 44,'having an arm 45 projecting down within the path of the ejectorsupport 7 when said follower is resting on the bottom of the chute after the packages are exhausted. When said support strikes said arm, the slide can be moved no farther in and simply returnswith its coin. The same thing can be accomplished by the ejectorforks meeting the front face of the follower 44; but as this is liable to injure said forks I prefer the arrangement described.

The follower must descend to the chute bottom just as the last package is being dis charged by the delivery-forks, and hence the arm 45 will pass down back of the support 7, and so prevent the same and the. slide from returning. To overcome this, I either pivot said arm at 46 to the follower or cut away the rear face of the follower, so it can cant backward and permit said arm to, rise and release the support 7.

I prefer to combine a fortune-telling cylinder'70 with this vending-machine, suitable fortunes being inscribed upon the periphery thereof visible one at a time through the slot 81. This cylinder is partially turned and a new fortune presented every time a slide is ICC operated, the mechanism therefor comprising the following: Pivoted on the shaft of said cylinder at each end of the same are two arms 7 3, one of which carries a pawl 72, engaging internal ratchet-teeth 71. These arms are connected by the wires 74 to the cross-bar 75, which passes across the paths of whatever number of slides 1 may be used. When any one of the slides is operated,its ejector-support 7 meets said cross-bar, and thereby swings said arms and turns the cylinder, a spring 78 returning the cross-bar and allied parts to their original positions.

A further improvement is that by means of which the packages are prevented from shaking out from the chute through the delivery-opening 41 when the machine is turned upon its back in transportation. This I do by means of the cross-bar 77, rigidly connected with the wires 7 a and cross-bar 76 and normally held immediately back of the openings 41. By thus closing said openings none of the contents can escape accidentally; but whenever any slide is operated the action which turns the cylinder pushes the said cross-bar away from said openings, and thereby leaves the latter free for the discharge of the packages.

The framework of the machine is formed in two sections horizontally separated along the plane of the slide 1. The lower section 53 supports the slide, and the upper 54 is formed with a projection 55, entering the slot 5 of the slide and serving to guide the same, as shown in Fig. 7.

What I claim as my invention, and for which I desire Letters Patent, is as fdllows, to wit:

1.'In a coin-operated machine, the combination with the slide having the coin-opening and the slot communicating therewith, of a detent constructed to normally intercept said slide, and a rocking dog pivotally supported above said slide and constructed when raised to elevate said detent; said dog being formed with an elongated tail projecting through said slot, and a tooth distant from the tail the radius of the coin for which the machine is designed, substantially as described.

2. In a coin-operated machine, the combination with the slide having the coin-opening and the slot communicating therewith, of the lever pivoted below said slide and projecting through said slot, the slide-intercepting detent supported on said lever, and the rocking dog pivoted to said lever and having the elongated tail projecting through said slot and the tooth at a distance from the tail equal to the radius of the coin for which the machine is designed, substantially as described.

3. In a coin-operated machine, the combination with the slide having the coin-opening and the slot communicating therewith, of the lever pivoted below the slide but extended up through said slot and having the slot therein, the rocking dog-pivoted in the slot in said lever and having the elongated tail projecting down through the slot in the slide and the tooth at a distance from the tail equal tothe radius of the coin for which the machine is designed, and the spring held by the lever for pressing the rocking dog forward, and a detent supported by said lever, substantially as described.

4. In a coin-operated machine, the combination with the slide having the coin-opening and the slot communicating therewith, of the detent, the lever supporting the detent and pivotally supported, and the rocking dog pivoted to said lever; said lever having an adj usting-screw constructed to support the free end thereof to prevent its sinking below apredetermined point, substantially as described.

5. In a coin-operated machine, the combi nation with the slide, of the coin-engaging lever, the detent pivoted at one end and connected with said lever, and a fixed support for the free end of said detent, substantially as described.

6. In a coin-operated machine, the combination with the slide, of the coin-engaging lever, the pivoted detent connected with said lever, the fixed support for the free end of said detent, and the adj usting-screw tapped through said end of the detent and contacting with said support, substantially as described. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of September, 1901. 1

CHARLES L. HURD. l/Vitnesses:

A. B. UPHAM, E. W. WAITE. 

